Cultural Council For Palm Beach County Celebrates Cultural Connections and Unity with Profound Exhibition ‘Quintessentially We’
Posted by: Linnea Bailey
November 12, 2024
‘Quintessentially We’ will feature works by 25 Palm Beach County-based professional artists
LAKE WORTH BEACH, FL — An artist is a purveyor of truth who uses art to tell personal stories influenced by the time in which they live.
That message will be on display in the Cultural Council for Palm Beach County’s exhibition Quintessentially We, which kicks off the Council’s Main Gallery season this month.
Free and open to the public November 22 through January 18, 2025, the exhibition will highlight works from 25 Palm Beach County-based professional artists and will take place in the historic Robert M. Montgomery, Jr. building at the Council’s downtown Lake Worth Beach headquarters; exhibition hours are Tuesday through Saturday from noon to 5 p.m.
The Cultural Council has received acclaim in recent years for its exhibitions highlighting diverse groups of Palm Beach County-based artists, including She. Her. Hers, which focused on the work of women artists; Contemporary Art of the Latin American Diaspora, which showcased work by artists of Latin American and Hispanic descent; Being Heard, Being Seen, which focused on artists who identify as LGBTQ+; and Karibu: A Celebration of Black Artists in Palm Beach County, which celebrated Black culture in Palm Beach County. Quintessentially We is meant to be a unifying exhibition that focuses on shared experiences, said Jessica Ransom, the Council’s director of artist services.
“Everyone has life experiences that both define and unite them,” she said. “Quintessentially We focuses on our shared humanity, life experiences, and community.”
Curated by Wendy Arimah Berot of the Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning in Queens, New York, this exhibition celebrates quintessentially “we” experiences and cultural connections in everyone’s lives. The work explores a wide range of expressions in contemporary culture, including themes like aging, pregnancy, motherhood, regional and international connections, religious identity, ancestral heritage, clothing, hair, body identity, hyphenated cultural experiences, rituals, and familial celebrations.
Drawing inspiration from the song We Are One by MAZE (featuring Frankie Beverly), Arimah Berot said she has woven a story with the work of artists whose interpretation of the theme resonates in different ways; some focus on the collaborative ‘we,’ while others focus on the intersectionality within oneself and which identities we choose to reveal to others.
“Some of the works in Quintessentially We are subtle, some are profound — and some may stop you in your tracks and take your breath away,” she said. “This is powerful collection of work that explores who we are collectively, individually and how we navigate those identities as we move forward.”
Quintessentially We will feature a diverse variety of work, including large scale paintings, photographs, ceramic sculptures and mixed media assemblages. The Palm Beach County-based professional artists in this exhibition are Milena Arango, Sonya Sanchez Arias, Diane Arrieta, Amy S. Broderick, Wilma J. Burton, Erika Cespedes, Marleen De Waele-De Bock, Sitki Dogan, Pia Dugger, Andrea Facusse, Rose Gong Monier, Ashley Kerr, Sharon Koskoff, George Lupo, Peter Meyerhoefer, Quinn M. Miller, Astrid Mora, Wendy Navarrete, Patty Peters, Annina Rüst, Kateryna Vistyzenko, Leon Watson, Elaine Weber, James Wilner and Gillian Kennedy Wright (an Artist Innovation Fellow).
“The Cultural Council’s mission is to nurture, promote, and support a healthy, diverse, and inclusive cultural sector,” said Dave Lawrence, the Cultural Council’s president and CEO. “We serve as cultural architects, championing and growing cultural organizations and creative professionals so that arts and culture are a part of everyday life, for everyone. Quintessentially We is an exhibition that highlights our shared life experiences, and we’d like to invite everyone to come and experience this extraordinary exhibition.”
An opening reception will take place on November 21 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The reception is free, but registration is required by visiting https://www.palmbeachculture.com/event/opening-reception-quintessentially-we/. Artists from the exhibition will be present to answer questions and discuss their work. An exhibition extension will also take place Saturday, November 23, at 2 p.m., featuring an engaging discussion with Arimah Berot.
The exhibition is sponsored by The Palm Beach Post, Florida Weekly and Publix.
About the Cultural Council for Palm Beach County
The Cultural Council for Palm Beach County is the official support agency for arts and culture in The Palm Beaches, Florida’s Cultural Capital®. Headquartered in the historic Robert M. Montgomery, Jr. building in Downtown Lake Worth Beach, the Council presents exciting year-round exhibitions and performances featuring artists who live or work in Palm Beach County. The Council features spectacular work by Palm Beach County-based professional artisans in its Roe Green Uniquely Palm Beach Store and offers complimentary resources for visitors in its Jean S. and Frederic A. Sharf Visitor Information Center. The Council is open to the public Tuesdays through Saturdays from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. For more information and a comprehensive calendar of cultural events in The Palm Beaches, visit palmbeachculture.com.
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Media Contact:
Linnea Bailey (561) 713-0673
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Calendar item:
Exhibition: Quintessentially We — November 22 – January 18, 2025
An artist is a purveyor of truth who uses art to tell personal stories influenced by the time in which they live. Curated by Wendy Arimah Berot of the Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning (Queens, NY), this exhibition celebrates quintessentially “we” experiences and cultural connections in everyone’s lives. The work explores a wide range of expressions in contemporary culture, including themes like aging, pregnancy, motherhood, regional and international connections, religious identity, ancestral heritage, clothing, hair, body identity, hyphenated cultural experiences, rituals, and familial celebrations. This free public exhibition will take place in the Main Gallery at the Cultural Council for Palm Beach County, located in The Robert M. Montgomery, Jr. Building at 601 Lake Avenue in Lake Worth Beach. Hours are Tuesdays through Saturdays from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Call (561) 471-2901 or visit palmbeachculture.com.